Free Runners: Brent
by RonnyBravo
Summary: The second story in the free runners series. A wolf named Brent fled his clan and went to join the Myre Society. However, moons into his membership and during the great famine, he meets a female Watch Wolf whom he falls in love with, and she does the same. Is their relationship doomed, or will they somehow prevail? As of the apparent 6th book of the series, this story is AU.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of the angry wolves had died down. He had done it; he was free. The clan that had bound him for one and a half moon cycles no longer had him under its control. He wouldn't ever have to answer to a chieftain ever again, nor worry about what would happen to him every second of his life. The MacHeaths were gone, dead to him in his mind, but along with them went his family.

Despite his hatred for his clan, he had loved the little family he had within it. He had lived with his mother, his father, who was rarely ever home because of fierce loyalty to Dunbar MacHeath, and his newborn little sister. She was the reason for his leaving, not because he didn't want a little sister, but because the chieftain had torn her eye out at birth, something he had failed to do to him when he was born.

Dunbar's full intention was to get a wolf to the Watch, and he figured the only way to do it was to make a _malcadh_, a cursed wolf, since no MacHeath wolf had sired a _malcadh_ in many moon cycles. Not surprisingly, he went to the den of the wolf he hated the most, the wife of the wolf that constantly pestered him about becoming higher ranked in the clan and tore out their newborn pup's eye, claiming that she was a _malcadh_ from that day forward. That wolf whose eye Dunbar tore out was his, Brent's, little sister. He couldn't take it any longer and fled the clan a week later, after carefully making sure that he had memorized his sister's scent, so if he ever met her later on, he would know who she was.

And so there he was, wandering around in the western Beyond as a lone wolf, a free runner, as the lone wolves called themselves. That was when he found a new clan; not quite a clan, but a clan nonetheless. He was quickly accepted into their ranks and found great pleasure in living under their rules.

They were more of a society of free runners, who accepted all who met their standards. Many of their laws were different from those in the Beyond, though some were similar, and they spoke quite a different language, even though most of them spoke the wolf language of the Beyond. He stayed with them for many moons before he met a night where his life changed forever. This is the account of Brent, Myre Society wolf in the time of the Fengo Finbar.

* * *

Brent had never had a more unsuccessful time at hunting in moons beyond. Famine had fallen upon him and likely every other wolf in the Beyond. The Myre Society had been finding less and less food ever since the weather had gotten strange. Blizzards plagued the land during what should have been summer moons, while caribou herds dwindled and many other species on which the wolves preyed seemed to disappear entirely.

"Must be a curse," Brent said to himself as he successfully lost the scent of another caribou. He had arrived at the spot where it would have been, but deduced from the emptiness of the clearing that it had run off. The scent was gone.

Most wolves would call him quite handsome. He had golden fur and was very large and muscular, perhaps one of the strongest fighters in the Myre Society. He was also incredibly fast and very romantic. He constantly tried to flirt with females, though they usually ended up keeping away from him. He never really liked any of them anyways. He was just desperate for someone to have as a mate. The only thing that really ruined his look was the long scar running between his eyes.

Most Myre Society wolves blamed the clans of the Beyond for the terrible famine. They thought that maybe those wolves had eaten themselves fat and hadn't let their food source reproduce so that more could be eaten. Brent found it differently. As he was a more recent society wolf, he still clung slightly to some of the Beyond teachings. He thought that maybe the strange weather and sudden food disappearance were a sign of the end of an age, when the mending would occur. Perhaps the wolves would be enlightened and realize that everyone was equal. He couldn't remember all of the details. He often found himself believing his fellow wolves in the society.

But whatever happened, the wolves were starving now and had to fight to survive. Some of the society wolves had been kicked out for breaking out in violence over food against each other. Such behavior was unthinkable in the Myre Society standards. Yet more and more wolves, mostly outside the society as the wolves heard through howling songs, were getting into fights over food. The wolves were getting desperate.

Brent sniffed the air. He was in the northeastern Beyond. He could see the tips of the volcanoes from where he was. A chill ran down his spine. He was too close to his former clan. If he pressed farther east he would end up in the MacNamara; farther west would put him in the clan he hated the most, the MacHeath.

He decided against both and headed south towards the volcanoes. From there he would cut across the border of the MacDuncan territory (from howling messages, he found that they weren't doing so well) and head a little further south until he hit the north of the MacDuff territory. He would head west from there. If he spaced it out far enough, which would be a risky move, he would be back at the Myre Society meeting spot in the west by the new moon, which was their time of meeting.

As he began walking and pondering his route, he heard a rustle from the bushes. Immediately, he went into attack mode. He got ready to pounce on whatever was there, but it got to him first. A few seconds later, he realized that he was tussling with another wolf, a she-wolf, and pushed her off, stumbling to his feet and then charging at her. He came around her right side and knocked her over, then immediately stopped as he pinned her to the ground. Her right eye was missing.

"Leave me be!" she cried fiercely.

"Who are you and why do you attack me so suddenly?" asked Brent, though his tone had softened for a very particular reason. She pushed him off and scrambled to her feet.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, "I don't have to tell you who I am or why I attacked you! Who are you anyways?"

"I'm not saying anything until you answer me," said Brent with a cocky smile. He liked this wolf already. She had very rusty fur and single green eye in her left eye socket. She seemed as thin as he was; this was logical due to the sudden famine. She seemed to hesitate as he stared at her. This was good on Brent's part; unnerving your opponent was often the key to winning a fight. This was especially easy when your opponent was of the opposite gender.

"I… I don't have to tell you anything," she repeated hesitantly. Brent didn't budge. He could tell that she didn't want to fight him.

"I'll ask again," he said, "Who are you?" She finally cracked.

"I am Banja," she admitted, "Wolf of the Watch at the Ring of Sacred Volcanoes." Brent frowned. He knew good and well what Watch wolves were limited to.

"_There goes any chances I had with her,_" he thought to himself jokingly. Then he spoke outward.

"If you are from the Watch, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Not saying anymore," said Banja, "Not until you tell me who you are."

"I guess it's only fair," Brent responded, "I am Brent of the Myre Society of Free Runners." Banja stared at him for ten seconds and then bolted. Brent immediately crashed into a run after her. She was fast, but Brent easily overtook her, and tackled her to the ground again, making sure that she couldn't move.

"You aren't going anywhere with that information," he said. He saw that she was squirming uncomfortably and he figured that it was because he was right on top of her. He moved over so that he still had his paw firmly on her chest.

"Promise me you won't go telling your Watch friends what I just told you," he said smiling. She seemed terrified. As it turned out, she was.

"Okay, okay!" she cried, "Now let me go!" He moved his head closer to hers so that they could feel each other's breath.

"Promise?" he asked. She seemed to realize that he was trying to flirt with her and moved his paw off of her chest, scrambling to her feet again.

"Promise," she said, still with a scared look in her eye. She then dashed off back into the trees. Brent knew for a fact that he could trust her.

"She won't tell anyone," said Brent smiling. He had felt something when he had seen her fully for the first time, something that he hadn't ever felt before. In the many moons he had spent in the Myre Society, he had gone without a mate. Now he had found the perfect match for himself.

"It's just a matter of getting her to like me back," said Brent to himself, "And that won't be hard at all."

**A/N: Well, this is just the beginning of the second story in my free runners series. This idea actually came into mind a while back. Who was Maudie's father? I had always wondered that. This is my idea of who he might have been, and how he met Banja. As I said in the summary, I would like to know if I should up the rating to T. This story is not going to contain anything that will push it to M (God forbid that I ever do that), but if my readers think the rating should go up, feel free to tell me.**

**I do not own Wolves of the Beyond. All characters, ideas, and places belong to Kathryn Lasky. **


	2. Chapter 2

As sure as Brent had thought, when he returned to the spot he had been searching for caribou at after the society meeting, he could smell Banja nearby. She wasn't going to reveal herself on her own, so he sniffed around. He could smell her trying to move around him, but she never moved more than ten feet away from him.

"Maybe I won't have to do anything at all…" he chuckled to himself as he continued sniffing. Then, he dashed straight to his left. He made a few turns to avoid trees and found his measurements perfect; he caught Banja just as their paths were crossing. He slowed down by a millisecond and crashed into her. They toppled over and fell to the ground. The snow softened their landing.

"I thought I smelled you around here," said Brent, looking straight into Banja's one eye. He felt her heart rate go up as their chests were pressed together perpendicularly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her blush. She immediately rolled over and caused him to fall to the ground.

"I'm not here for any particular reason… I was just… uh…"

"Looking for me?" asked Brent with a smile as he got up, "Don't be afraid to admit it." Banja backed up a few steps, but didn't flee this time. She simply stared at him coldly, though he sensed warmth in her glare. A cool breeze whipped between them and drop of snow fell from the sky.

"Still summer isn't it?" asked Brent, "You ever wonder why we have winter storms nowadays?"

"Don't try to flirt with me!" Banja cried, "It won't work."

"I'm not even flirting," Brent objected, "I don't even need to." He saw her blush again, except this time, it was pretty obvious. She shook it off quickly.

"You didn't answer me last time," said Brent as the snow began falling more steadily, "Why are you here?"

"I've been… sent out on a scouting mission," she said quickly.

"That's a lie," said Brent with a chuckle, "Maybe last time, but not this time. Maybe not even last time."

"How would you know?" she asked defiantly.

"Last time you seemed desperate to find something to eat," said Brent, "I could feel it. But this time, I know for a fact that you came out here solely to see if I was still here. I wasn't for a while but then I came back knowing you were going to look for me." Banja was silent.

"It's true," said Banja in defeat, "I found this place by accident the last time we met. Then I decided once I got back to the Watch that I would come back here to see if you were still here."

"Because you like me," said Brent, cutting into her story. She blushed again, just as the snow started falling more rapidly.

"Looks like a blizzard is coming on," said Brent, "Let's go find a place to talk out of this cold." Banja looked too weak to disagree.

They found a hollowed out rock nearby and settled down in there to wait out the blizzard.

"How long will it be before they notice you're gone?" asked Brent, "Because this thing isn't going to be letting up for a while.

"I don't know," said Banja, not making eye contact. Without looking up, she asked, "What is the Myre Society like?" Brent was surprised at that question.

"Well, we're basically a spread out clan of wolves who help each other out whenever we need it," Brent answered, "Everyone is welcome just so long as they have been determined to have cut all ties to the clan wolves of the Beyond. Like me."

"So how did you end up in the society?" asked Banja.

"I was mortified by the MacHeath's behavior," said Brent in response. Banja perked up at this remark.

"The MacHeaths were declared Outclanners almost four moons ago," she said. Brent put on a shocked expression.

"You can't be serious!" he cried. Banja nodded. Brent had been unaware of the MacHeath's exile. He wondered what could have happened to his family.

"Did you have family there?" asked Banja.

"Yes," said Brent softly, "I had a mother and a little sister. My father was always distant. I left because of the chieftain's behavior towards my family. He tried to tear my eye out but failed and then successfully tore out my sister's right eye, just to make her a _malcadh_." Banja looked stunned. Not because she couldn't believe what he was saying, but because she fully believed it and knew exactly what he was talking about. Yet she didn't say anything about that.

"I… I'm sorry," said Banja.

"It's alright," said Brent coldly, "I haven't any ties to them any longer. It doesn't matter."

"It does to you," said Banja almost pleadingly, "I can feel it."

"So why do you care?" Brent snapped back. Banja fell back and silent. Brent softened his expression.

"I'm sorry…" he said, "I don't like talking about my past."

"If I could get rid of mine, I wouldn't talk of it either," said Banja. They lied in silence for a few moments before Banja brought up another topic.

"I… I really do like you Brent," she started, "I think I can understand why you like me as well."

"But as a Watch Wolf," said Brent, "You aren't allowed to have a mate correct?"

"So you aren't completely out of the beliefs of the Beyond," said Banja.

"You have your standards and I have mine," said Brent, "If they're different, I will respect yours and you should respect mine as well."

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Banja.

"It means that even if we believe in different ways, we shouldn't be persecuting each other for them," said Brent, "That is just plain wrong. We as even different genders may see things differently. That is why I respect females for who they are, even if I do flirt with them a lot." Banja was silent for a few seconds.

"So you wouldn't do anything to me without my consent?" asked Banja.

"Exactly," said Brent with a nod. Banja stood up and walked over to him. Then, much to his surprise, she licked his muzzle.

"You, Brent, are a noble wolf," said Banja smiling, "Perhaps I am not allowed to mate as a Watch Wolf, but perhaps my ways can be changed on the inside. I shall be a Watch Wolf on the outside while a free runner on the inside." Brent took that as a welcome to exchange vows with her as a mate.

"Then you shall be mine," said Brent, licking her back, "I accept you as my wife if you will accept me as your husband."

"I will," she said. And as night was falling, they lied down together and slept on the cold floor of the cave.

* * *

**A/N: If this seems rushed, I'm sorry. I tend to do that with this category since my WotB stories tend to be short. **


	3. Chapter 3

The two wolves met continually over the next moon cycle. Brent was so attached to her that he didn't even go to the next Myre Society meeting. He had never felt so emotional towards another wolf before. Then came a week where Banja didn't show up at all. Brent waited and waited at the same spot they always met, just outside the cave where they had exchanged vows. He went without eating, worrying over what could have happened to his mate. He began to wonder if she had been executed or brutally murdered for falling in love with another wolf, and the more he did, the more he believed it was true. If it was, it would have been his fault for loving her in the first place.

That set him off. On the sixth day that she didn't show up, he made a mad dash towards the ring. He didn't care if he got caught there, as long as he knew she was alright.

"Oh Lupus don't let it be so that she's gone…" he murmured to himself as he rushed through the forest. Within minutes he was outside of the ring's perimeter, breathing heavily. A Great Snowy Owl flew overhead him and up towards the ring, seeming unaware of his presence there. Brent took a few more steps towards the perimeter after he caught his breath again but stopped almost immediately due to catching onto the scent of another wolf close behind him.

"Who's there?" he asked without turning. Nobody answered him. The air around him felt eerily similar to the first day when he had met Banja.

"Banja?" he asked as he looked around. He looked straight into the eyes of a black wolf. It charged at him but he sidestepped quickly and began to run. That was the biggest mistake he could have made. The wolf howled and two more wolves came charging from either side of him. Brent continued to initiate the wrong movements. He continued running, allowing the three others to catch up with him.

"Stand down!" one of them yelled. He was moving too fast to register which one said it. Then he got sneaky. He began to slow down, not just to trick the wolves into thinking he was giving up, but also to swing around the next tree he passed on his left. It just so happened to work. As he swung around and ran in the other direction, the other wolves, surprised at his move, skidded to a stop and swiveled around. Brent was able to turn a few more trees in order to buy himself some time, but he wasn't going to be able to hold up much longer. His oxygen was going run out eventually if he didn't slow down.

He then made a move that likely not many wolves had performed before. He jumped three feet up a tree and began climbing it like a grizzly. No sooner had he started then he had reached the near highest branch. No Watch Wolf, not even the best jumper, could reach him at this height.

"Get down from there!" one of the wolves below yelled, obviously having realized that Brent had outdone them.

"You've made yourself a criminal by running!" another called out, "Get down here so we don't have to make your punishment more severe!" Brent couldn't hold his tongue.

"Yeah, well why don't you idiots try jumping up here and getting me?" he asked defiantly. There was silence and then more silence. When Brent looked down again, he saw that the wolves were gone.

"An ambush?" he asked himself. He sniffed the air. No, it wasn't an ambush. As a matter of fact, they seemed to be gone and their scent replaced with…

"Banja," he said automatically. Banja's scent was coming from the north, where he had left the den just about ten minutes before. He jumped from the tree and landed on his feet. After sniffing around to make sure no other wolves had been around to see it, he dashed off to the north.

* * *

He found that Banja hadn't even made it the whole way to the cave. She had collapsed about ten meters away from it.

"Banja!" Brent cried ecstatically. Banja's head turned weakly and her one eye shimmered with hope as she saw him coming at her.

"Banja what happened?" Brent shouted, "Where have you been?"

"Brent… get me to the cave," she said weakly. Brent did that, hefting her onto his back and carrying her the rest of the way.

After getting her something to eat, Brent lied down beside her and licked her muzzle.

"Banja, dear, what happened?" he asked, gentler this time. Banja looked right into his eyes.

"Brent, I received the brunt of my actions at the Ring," said Banja, "Wolves ridiculed and beat me… it was terrible… I fled as quickly as I could… but…"

"They got to you," said Brent, "Did they find you out?"

"No," said Banja, "But they were suspicious."

"How could such suspicion arise?" asked Brent.

"That is the second half of my story," said Banja. She looked directly into both of his eyes, piercing them with her one.

"Brent, I am carrying your child," she said.

Brent was silent, shocked, for a few minutes before licking her muzzle again.

"I'm sorry for what I've done to you," he said, a grin already spreading across his face.

"Don't be," said Banja, "You've melted the cold heart I've had since I was born. I owe everything to you." There was barking in the distance as they licked each other back and forth.

"You won't be able to go back," said Brent.

"Why is that?" asked Banja.

"Why would you want to?" he asked in response, "And there were three wolves chasing me back there. I'm sure they were of the Watch. I was looking for you when they found me. I believe that your name slipped from my mouth right before the chase began. Their suspicions will be confirmed and you will be punished upon your return." Banja was silent.

"So where do we go from here?" asked Banja, nuzzling closer to him.

"We must find a place to hide you," said Brent, "They'll think you've gone _by-lang _and search for you, but I know a place where they'll never think of looking. Just trust me."

"I do my dear," she said, "I do."

"Very well then," he said, standing up over her, "We'll leave as soon as the coast is clear."


	4. Chapter 4

After a few more days, the coast was clear enough for them. Wolves no longer barked outside and their scent had gone with the cold wind. Storm clouds rested in the sky, telling Brent that if he wanted to get Banja anywhere, he'd better do it quickly.

"We must go now," said Brent as Banja pulled herself off of the floor, "The place I know of may take a little while to get to. And it requires sneaking between the border of the MacDuncan territory and the Ring."

"Are you sure it's a safe route?" asked Banja as they walked out of the cave.

"I've taken it many times," said Brent, "And I have never been caught." So it was. They walked together south, since Banja couldn't really run at all, but picked up the pace when they heard a _byrrgis_ not far off from where they were.

"It's futile to use those in this time," said Brent, "We society wolves are better fed than them, and we're getting close to nothing on our own."

"It is a time of famine indeed," said Banja, "Not exactly the best time to be heavy with a child."

"Don't worry," said Brent as they walked through the middle of the border of the MacDuncan territory and the Ring, "You will have food."

"What about you?" asked Banja.

"For our child, I will sacrifice my nourishment," said Brent. Banja walked closer to him from then on out.

Within the next few days, they stayed in makeshift dens and ate together on their way to the place that Brent knew of. It was a happy time for the two of them, not having to worry about anything that would restrict them from being lovers except for the occasional distant barks of other wolves.

A few days into their journey, Brent noted that the place they were looking for was nearby, as was someone he knew.

"I believe we are close to our destination," said Brent, "But seeing as how the moon is rising I think we should be sheltered."

"So why do we not continue forward to this place?" asked Banja.

"It is too far for us to continue," Brent answered, "Ten miles at the least. I think I can smell the scent of someone I know nearby though."

"Who is that?" asked Banja.

"You'll see," Brent said with a devilish smile. Banja nuzzled closer to him as they changed course and headed more eastward than they had been going. Not five minutes later they came upon a clearing that had the very clear shape of a den in the side of a rock face within it.

"There," said Brent, "That is where his scent leads me." The two wolves advanced forward cautiously and then Brent stopped Banja.

"I smell more," he said, "Three more."

"Are they friendly?" Banja asked nervously.

"Yes my dear," said Brent after he checked the scent of the air, "I know them all. Let us proceed." So they did. As they came upon the mouth of the den, a red wolf was already walking towards them.

"Well Brent, this is a pleasant surprise," he said, "Who's the girl with you?"

"Roscoe, this is my wife Banja," Brent answered. Roscoe nodded in acknowledgement of her presence and Banja did the same.

"I did not know you were sweet on someone," said Roscoe, "You haven't been showing up to society meetings lately so we were getting worried. I suppose she is the reason why?"

"Yes, that I suppose is the case," said Brent, "Though she is a fitting excuse to miss something of such importance to us." He could feel Banja blushing in the darkness. Banja herself was wondering if Roscoe himself was also a member of the Myre Society Brent had talked about.

"Are the others with you well?" asked Brent.

"Yes," said Roscoe, "Please come on in." He turned around and Brent and Banja followed him into the cave. As they entered, Banja noticed that there were indeed three other wolves within the cavern, two standing over another who was lying down in the back. One of them turned around to see who had just entered.

His fur was almost as black as the night and the only way to recognize him was by his piercing green eyes. The other wolf that hadn't turned and was busy watching over the wolf who was lying down had tawny fur. The wolf lying down herself was easier to see as she was golden-furred and quite beautiful.

"Raul," said Brent, addressing the black wolf formally.

"Ah Brent, we all thought you were gone for good," said the wolf named Raul, "I trust you have been well."

"He has," said Roscoe, answering for Brent, "And found a mate as well." Raul made a whistling sound through his teeth and both of the newcomers blushed.

"So Brent is back," the female's voice came sharply, which was surprising to Banja since she seemed to be lying down injured, "I'd like to see who he has been acquitted to mate with." Roscoe ushered Brent and Banja forward and they walked up next to Raul, where they stood over the she-wolf who had spoken and next to the tawny wolf who seemed to be quite worried about her.

"I thought you said that everyone is in good health," said Brent as he looked down at the she-wolf.

"She is fine, just exhausted," said Roscoe.

"I am indeed," said the she-wolf as she turned her head to look at them. She seemed to size Banja up as sharply as she had spoken.

"You carry his child?" she asked suddenly. Banja almost jumped back out of the cave.

"H-how did you know that?" Banja asked in shock. The three other males looked at the two of them in surprise.

"That close, hmm?" said Raul. Brent blushed.

"I'd forgotten, Celia, that you could tell," said Brent, "I should expect no less from a mother of many children."

"Yes I would know," Celia muttered, "Most of those were stupid Outclanners going after me. I think I may be carrying another now."

"You see, that is what I'm worried about!" said the tawny wolf in alarm, "Sis, you've got to get a hold of yourself!"

"Well Quell, pardon my rhyme, how can I help my beauty?" Celia asked, "I don't like it either, but I am cursed with such looks. Wolves of all sorts come after me, Outclanners included."

"You've been impregnated by Outclanners?" Banja asked in alarm.

"This is the cost for being a female and single free runner," Celia sighed, "Even travelling with my brother cannot protect me from the wolves that are out there."

"It sounds awful," said Banja.

"You don't know the half of it dearie," said Celia solemnly. Quell turned from Celia for the first time since Brent and Banja entered the cave.

"So what brings you here?" asked Quell.

"We simply need a place to stay before we head to the forge for the very reason that she is pregnant," said Brent.

"Ah, that place?" said Quell, "I'd have to regain the smell before I could find it again." Roscoe and Raul seemed to nod in agreement, which sparked the assumption in Banja's mind that all of these wolves knew where they were headed but didn't know where it was.

"We shall give you shelter since we won't be going anywhere this night," said Roscoe, "Raul just trailed in earlier today and I a few days before him while looking for food. How long have you two been here?"

"A week or two," said Quell.

"A week and a half," Celia corrected immediately, "Where did you come from exactly?"

"From where I usually hang out," said Brent, "The northeastern Beyond…"

"No, your mate," said Celia cutting him off. Banja seemed to go silent. The whole den as a matter of fact seemed as quiet as a mouse. Banja struggled to form words. Of course, within her a huge debate was going on. She could tell these stranger wolves what she had faced in her past or she could let Brent explain what he knew about her.

"Well she…" Brent started.

"I was born in the MacDuncan clan many moons ago," said Banja cutting him off, "I had a single eye at birth and as such was left in the middle of the Beyond's dividing river to die."

"So you are a clan wolf," said Roscoe.

"Sort of, but not anymore," Banja said hastily, "Anyways, I washed up on the banks and found my way back to the clan where I was named and proclaimed to be a gnaw wolf, not two weeks before the next _gaddergnaw_ had been scheduled. I won it with ease and joined the Watch…"

"So you are a Watch Wolf who has run away due to becoming pregnant with a free runner," said Celia, "Interesting." Banja nodded, her nerves still wracking inside of her.

"That is basically how I ended up here with Brent," said Banja. Nobody spoke again as the listening wolves took time to contemplate what she had said. Brent nuzzled even closer to her.

"So she does have one eye," said Raul, breaking the silence as he observed Banja's face, "Like your sister Brent."

"Yes, I have already spoken about this," said Brent. Banja again felt guiltiness inside of her that she hadn't told him something that she knew about what he was saying, but she held it in, not sure as to how he would respond to what the truth was. Fortunately for her, Roscoe spoke up.

"Well, it is late," he said, "I think all of us should get some rest, especially you two." He nodded towards Brent and Banja.

"It would be wise," said Brent, "Even though the journey is short, dangers may wait at every turn. We're already being hunted. We must be careful." The other four wolves, excluding Banja all nodded.

"Always the overcautious one," said Celia as she laid her head down and shut her eyes. Raul and Roscoe slept on opposite sides of the cave. Brent and Banja slept together in the corner. As everyone slept, the moon watched over them outside the cave. Quell stayed up later than the others so as to watch over his sister. He dozed off around midnight, but then his ears twitched. He felt a small tremor coming from the ground. Then it stopped.

Quell went right back to sleep, not thinking much of the tremor since they had been common for quite a while. Little did he or his companions know, the magnitude of that situation was soon to become much, much worse.


	5. Chapter 5

Brent and Banja were all set to leave when the next morning came, though the sun was blocked by the dark storm clouds that had beat snow down upon them in constant spasms. As they stood outside the den, speaking to the other wolves before they left, the clouds closed in on them.

"So I suppose that once you two manage to hide out and have that child, you'll be able to both come to Myre Society meetings eh?" said Raul. Brent nodded.

"I believe that was the plan," said Brent, "The storms are coming in on us. We must be going."

"Be careful both of you," said Roscoe, "The clan wolves will all be after you."

"Not just them," said Brent, "The Watch as well."

"They count as clann wolves," said Celia.

"Well anyways," said Brent, "I've been finding ways around their defenses for all the time I've spent in the Myre Society. We'll be fine."

"I hope so," said Quell, the tremor from the previous night on his mind, "I don't think it's just all of them you have to worry about."

"We already know," said Brent, "Banja? Shall we go?" Banja nodded without hesitance. Brent nodded in a farewell gesture and the others returned the movement. Banja imitated them. Then they walked towards the west, on towards the abandoned forge that was just miles away from them.

* * *

At the pace they were going, it took them nearly an hour and a half to reach the forge. Banja couldn't move as fast and a few times Brent had to help keep her on her feet, allowing her to lean against him for support. On a few occasions, the barking of clan wolves rose up above the trees, but they never had an encounter.

Soon, they saw the forge ahead. It was deeply hewn into rock, excavated by an owl. It was a little high up and the forest concealed it.

"Are you sure it's abandoned?" asked Banja, "I smell a familiar scent."

"I'm positive my dear," said Brent confidently, "I've been using this forge for a few moons now." They slowly ascended a narrow path coming out from the rock wall and reached the mouth of the forge.

"Looks cozy enough," said Banja, "Now what do we do?"

"I will find us food," said Brent, "You must stay here and rest."

"But Brent, the storm will begin brewing!" Banja exclaimed worriedly. Brent flashed a smile at her.

"I know my way," he said, "Don't worry about me. Think good thoughts." Banja's breathing evened out and once Brent saw that she was calm, and for that matter, dozing off, he left the forge.

* * *

About an hour later, Brent had located and killed a young caribou that had been separated from whatever lost herd it was from. He dragged it back to the forge where Banja was waiting for him. It was a struggle bringing it up the rock path, but it was done. He allowed Banja to eat first, and then he ate what was left.

"Thank you Brent," said Banja, "I feel much better now."

"I would do anything for you," said Brent, "But please hear me out; we must promise each other this. If one of us is caught by the clan wolves or anyone else aside from us, we mustn't cry out or panic. Instead, we must remain calm and see to it that the other is safe."

"So lie for each other if we are caught," said Banja. Brent nodded.

"Yes, technically that's what it means," he said. Banja got the sneaking suspicion that this was more of a rule set for him, to make sure that she knew that she would be safe if he was caught.

"By doing this, the other of us will still be safe," said Brent, "So that you will not be found if I'm caught and I can rescue you if you are found."

"But if you end up in a scuffle with clan wolves and you lose..." said Banja.

"Trust me," said Brent, "I will be fine, and I will protect you and our child with my life."

"I understand," said Banja, "I trust you." Brent licked her muzzle.

"Now rest," he said, "We might be here for some time."

Some time was right. They stayed together in the forge for many moons. Brent hunted for her often, so much that they had surplus, which was shocking considering the time they were in. Banja's old mind began to kick in, remembering the laws of the clan wolves that said that all food was given out in accordance to rank so that everyone got to eat, but Brent reassured her. "This is not a clan anymore," said Brent, "It is just us and the freedom of the Myre Society."

On a day those many moons later, Brent was preparing another hunt.

"Brent you need not to go," said Banja, "We have plenty."

"Plenty will soon turn to nothing," said Brent, "You must eat."

"I know that, but don't we have enough?" asked Banja, "You shouldn't go out and struggle when we have what we need right here." Brent paused for a few seconds.

"I suppose you're right," said Brent, turning back from the mouth of the cave, "I probably should be spending more time with you anyways. The child practically won't know me when it comes out!" They both laughed at that remark.

Then suddenly, a howl rose over the forest outside. It was a near howl, and Brent knew it.

"There's someone near..." he said, "I must lead them astray. They cannot find this place." He prepared to dash out of the forge but Banja stopped him.

"Brent, wait!" she called. Brent stopped and turned.

"Please, don't endanger yourself," she said pleadingly.

"Must I tell you again?" Brent said, "I will not get caught. Stay hidden. I will be back soon." With that, he dashed out of the cave before Banja could protest. On the inside, she was worrying with all her heart, and the unborn pup within her seemed to jump as well.

* * *

Brent raced through the trees, listening to the howls that echoed across them. He deliberately ran towards the howls. No doubt they could smell him coming close, because every time he charged at them, the scent multiplied by a lot. Finally, he nearly collided head on with one of the approaching wolves. He slammed into the wolf's side and they were both knocked to the ground.

He quickly scrambled to his feet and jumped at the other wolf, but the wolf caught him in a wrestling position. He bit at the wolf's muzzle and chomped down. The wolf whimpered in pain but kicked Brent off. An angry stare was imprinted on the wolf's eyes.

"Who the heck are you?" the wolf asked fiercely. Brent didn't flinch.

"You don't need to know that," he said in response. Another wolf suddenly jumped him from the back. He turned quickly and kicked that wolf off of his hind legs, knocking him into the first wolf. He jumped to his feet again. The two wolves were tawny and brown, hard to tell apart until they stood up. The tawny one was much smaller than the brown one.

"You just marked yourself as a criminal," said the brown wolf.

"Gee, that's news to me," said Brent sarcastically, "You clan wolves are so ignorant of who's on your arrest lists." The brown wolf tried to jump him again but he employed the same technique he had used on the tawny wolf.

"So you're not a clan wolf," said the tawny wolf, slowly creeping towards Brent as he regained his balance, "Then what are you?" Brent shot forward at the tawny wolf and tackled him to the ground, pinning him into the snow.

"As I said before; you don't need to know that," he said. The brown wolf came from behind and Brent dodged him. However, he was caught in the tackle and sent flying into a tree across the clearing. He stood up dazed. The brown wolf slammed him into the tree again and then slashed him across the chest. He howled in pain.

"Tell us who you are or else!" the wolf yelled.

"Never!" Brent said, "You'll never take me alive."

"That works for me," said the brown wolf. He prepared to bite down on Brent's neck, as the tawny wolf readied a slash to his forehead, right in the location of his first scar. Then, the earthquake happened.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for being awhile! My Mario fanfic starring Luigi is finally finished as is my Sophomore year, so I should have more time to work now. Writer's block has just been getting to me all around lately. **


	6. Chapter 6

The brown wolf was thrown from on top of Brent to the top of a nearby tree and impaled by one of its branches. The tawny wolf was thrown back first into a large oak across the clearing. Brent himself was thrown fifty feet to the south and then, as soon as he hit the ground, he felt himself being carried by the earth to the west. It was unlike anything he had felt before. The tremors had never been this powerful. He managed to land himself in a vibrating snowdrift, and buried himself in it so that he couldn't be carried any further.

As he resisted the shaking however, he managed to poke his head out. He saw through his shaking eyes a huge ring of red fire burst into the sky to the northeast. Out of nowhere, the mountains that had once been the Ring of Sacred Volcanoes collapsed. Brent went wide-eyed at the sight and then suddenly, more snow fell from a cliff above him that he had not seen. It covered him entirely and he slowly blacked out.

* * *

Banja herself was busy worrying about what had happened to Brent when she heard his howl in the distance. She wondered if it was of victory, defeat, or pain. She certainly hoped that nothing bad had happened. And then, before she could worry anymore, the earthquake had begun, and at the same time, she felt a twinge from within her. A pain suddenly took her over as the forge shook, but it wasn't the shaking that was hurting her. She was about to give birth.

She was shocked, confused, befuddled. She held still against the shaking for all the dear life that was in her, but the excruciating pain she was feeling overtook it all. She was in utter agony as the shaking and the miraculous process mixed, so much, that her one eye rolled back in her head and she nearly fell unconscious. Another jolt of pain hit her though. She calmed herself, her heart racing and pushed.

The earthquake very slowly began to die down, but the shaking still shook the forge. Banja heard the whimpering of a pup and the second she was able to breathe again, she held the newborn close to her as the shaking quietly died to a halt. Banja was sweating from the experience. Something strange had happened; her face had a weird new feeling, but she disregarded it. The whimpering of the newborn pup eased her shaking and fear. The newborn sucked softly and silently as though nothing had happened in the time of her birth. Banja felt tears come to her eyes. So this was what it felt like to become a mother.

She was golden-furred like her father. Though her eyes were closed, she was a beautiful little girl. Banja's heart melted at the sight, wondering about everything that she had been before she had met Brent, and now before her daughter had come into the world.

"I will call you Maudie, meaning mighty in battle," she said sincerely, "For your birth was not just a battle to be born, but also a battle against the mightiest force in nature. And through it all, you remained courageous, confident and calm... just like... your father..." Before she dozed off, she thought of something. Maudie's eyes were still closed, but they sure could be opened. Banja just wondered, "_Is she at all like me?_" She slowly reached down, touched the little pup's eyelids and slowly pushed them up. Both eyes were there. Banja smiled, allowed the eyes to shut beautifully, and then wrapped a paw around her little girl before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Brent found himself lying on the ground by the snowdrift, which had apparently sifted off of him by itself. He quickly jumped to his feet and ignored the exhaustion that he was feeling. Trees around him had fallen. There was practically no forest anymore. Just fallen logs. He looked around in amazement. Ash filled the air, lit by the morning sunlight and creating a hazy light across the land. The ground was destroyed and cracks had appeared everywhere. Brent quickly ran through the fallen forest, amazed that he had somehow survived that massive earthquake. He wasn't worried about that though. He was more worried for Banja's safety.

He ran towards the forge, trying to follow a scent. However, rather than finding the forge, the first thing he found was something he really didn't want to see.

"No..." he said, shock in his voice. Lying on the ground before him was the dead body of an old friend, Getrie, a red wolf with a good attitude and an excellent sense of humor. Brent shook his head and ran off, tears stinging his eyes. On the way to the forge, he was led off track by five more wolves that he knew, dead on the ground, and more than ten others that he didn't know. In total, he counted almost thirty dead bodies by the time he finally caught wind of the forge.

As he burst through the trees and snow, he found himself right underneath the forge. Trees had crashed over the entrance and the entrance had been shifted down almost five feet. He quickly jumped upon one of the trees and ran up into the forge.

"Banja!" he yelled into it. He pushed his way through some of the trees and sniffed around frantically.

"Banja! Banja!" he cried. He sniffed again. Her scent lingered, but it wasn't the only scent that wafted into his nose. There was also the scent of an owl, quite recent as a matter of fact, and also of milk. Brent's heart raced. If all was well, he was a father.

But he quickly tried to put together the facts from the scents he had found. He guessed that Banja had given birth right after he left, during the earthquake (Lupus forbid), or after the earthquake. The owl must have been the one who had occupied the forge before it had been abandoned; if not some other random owl. There were no scents of any other wolves aside from himself, Banja, and the newborn pup.

"So where is she?" he asked himself in frustration. He wished he had stayed with her. Perhaps those two wolves weren't even after them. Perhaps they were just out looking for food.

"Stupid bad judgement," he said to himself. He sniffed around again and found that the pup's scent went to the sky and Banja's left the forge and went in a different direction. He almost assumed the worst, but then he figured that if Banja wasn't going in the same direction as the owl, the pup hadn't been taken by force. Banja would never leave the child in danger. No mother would as far as he knew; especially not Banja.

His stomach growled as he exited the forge. He began to wonder how long he had been out, and moreover, how he had survived in that snowdrift. His pelt had been freezing when he woke up. He must have been in there for a while if that was the case.

As he moved on slowly, following Banja's scent and observing the disaster that was the Beyond, the sun began to set behind the ashen sky and the moon took its rise. Brent looked up to the moon, but only saw ash. He looked for a clear space in the sky, and after a couple minutes, he got one. It wasn't exactly what he expected to see. The moon in the sky was closing in on the new moon. His heart skipped a beat. The moon on the night of the earthquake had been more than a half moon. It had been over a week since the earthquake.

With that in mind, he began to run along following Banja's scent, dodging fallen trees and jumping gulches. He saw numerous dead wolves along his path. The scent keeled towards the west as he continued to move north. He found himself in another fallen forest and lied down to rest. Banja had been moving quickly.

He breathed in and out to relax, telling himself that everything would be alright. That anxiety got to him and he got up and started moving again. However, he stopped when he saw a large crevasse in the distance. A distant scent found that not only were all three of the scents from the forge united, but also the scents of five other wolves. Brent struggled to comprehend this, but just as he was about to move on towards the crevasse to investigate, he heard howling short ways away.

His heart raced suddenly. Was it Banja? Were there other wolves that were still out there? He squinted and saw in the darkness that four wolves were approaching his location. He howled, hoping for a friendly howl back. He was surprised to hear that the howling that came back was in the Myre Society's language. He quickly dashed towards the four wolves and almost ran into them. They surrounded him, tails wagging.

"Brent!" the tawny one on his left cried, "You're alive!"

"We thought you were done for!" said the one on his right, who was golden. The other two, one tawny-furred, and the other a mix of both colors, nodded in agreement.

"Kira! Keni! Lance! Jakor! I'm so glad to see you four!" Brent exclaimed happily, "How did you all survive?"

"That's not important," said the other tawny-furred wolf, "What's important is where the heck you've been."

"It's a long story," said Brent, "Let's walk and talk. I'm following a scent right now and I can't stop."

"A scent?" asked Jakor, "Whose scent?"

"The scent of my mate and child," said Brent as he began to move. The other four wolves were stunned for a few seconds.

"Are you coming?" asked Brent, turning his head. The four wolves quickly nodded and rushed to join Brent, who began his tale from where it had begun.

* * *

**A/N: This was the original purpose of the story; to explain the existence of Banja's daughter, Maudie. It got to me after I read Spirit Wolf****. I was all like, "Who's her dad?" I looked it up online and no dice. So I came up with this. Maudie does mean mighty in battle; I looked it up. **

**Kathryn Lasky owns Wolves of the Beyond, I own my OCs. Oh, and props to anyone who can figure out who the four wolves at the end of this chapter are related to, because it's a semi-important fact that will come up in the next chapter. **


End file.
